Young woman misses church to save puppy discarded in dumpster

Sign up for our newsletter and get stories like this and more from DogHeirs delivered straight to your inbox!

Kate Baumgartner, 22, was walking to church in Glen Carbon, IL, on Sunday when she heard a noise coming from a dumpster. She decided to investigate the barking noise, climbing into the dumpster in her Sunday's best. Inside, Kate found an 8-week-old puppy inside a trash bag.

"I did cry," said Kate, a student at Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville. "I didn't know what I was in for when I got in a dumpster, and there was a living animal, but I was in for a surprise!"

Her mother's neighbor is a veterinarian, so Kate took the puppy for a short checkup on Sunday morning. "I made it to the vet but didn't make it to church," Kate said.

Kate believes the puppy is a Shepherd-Boxer mix and plans to take her in for a full veterinarian checkup and shots, but from the puppy's first assessment by the neighbor, more medical care may be required. The neighbor suspects that the puppy has bruised ribs and a tail that has been broken at least once.

Regardless of what condition the puppy is in, Kate is ready to provide whatever care the puppy, named Layla, may need.

You may also like

An Alaskan Malamute puppy howls for the first time in front of his proud mom. She's so impressed she joins in! Related: Basset Hound puppy howls for the first time Adorable Alaskan Malmute puppies howl together Adorable Pomeranian puppy thinks she's a wolf

When Penny the Pit Bull was saved just a few weeks ago, her rescuers had no idea that they were actually saving two lives. Penny was thrown from a moving car and rescued by staff at the Berclair Animal Hospital nearby. Penny was emaciated, injured and suffering from congestive heart failure as result of heartworms. Penny had infected cuts and wounds all over her face and her rescuers say that they believe she was most...

A 2-month-old Golden Retriever puppy is delighted to meet an 8-month-old baby who has come over for a visit! Related: Baby and dog share a playful moment Baby learns to chew from puggles Sweet dog helps teach baby to crawl

A young Pit bull named Freckles is fighting to stay alive after enduring unimaginable abuse. The 1-year-old dog was found in a dumpster by animal control in northeast Baltimore, Maryland. Note: the latest updates on Freckles appear at the bottom of this page. **Warning Graphic content and images below may be disturbing to some readers** Freckles appears to have been dragged behind a vehicle for a long distance and then left for dead. He was...

"Kevie sings a pretty song." Kevie was rescued from a fur farm. She is known as a Cinnamon (not a native red fox) and was born with brittle bones among other birth defects and therefore cannot be let out into the wild. She has found a loving sanctuary and she has a beautiful singing voice. :-) Related: Talking porcupine loves pumpkin snacks (video) Sea otter has a lot to talk about (video) Sweet dog...

Thanks for the post Darrin Henry. Keeping her and her dog in my thoughts and prayers. Hope the dog recovers from his accident. Can you please keep us posted should you read anything about his condition? Thanks.

Hi guys I just wanted to let everybody know that there is a Dog Heirs member asking for your prayers tonight. Her name is Janis Haskins, and she made her plea at 4:44 pm on the community part of this site. Her dog was hit by a car today. Please show your support.

Kate, you are an angel for saving this little puppy! I'm sure there is a special place in heaven for people like you. Hopefully, the little one will not have any serious health problems, and will have a happy life with you. Whoever threw the puppy in the trash deserves to be thrown in the trash themselves!

You are a true blessing and an angel. You walked by that dumpster for a reason and you saved a sweet little puppy that would have sufficated to death. The world needs more people like you. Wishing you both a long and happy fuvever life together.

Kate, you are truly an angel! Even though you weren't within the four walls of a church, you were doing God's work. Thank you for saving that beautiful little pup. May you two have a long, blessed life together .

we had a shepard boxer mix. best dog we ever had. he lived to 17. most loyal and loving pet. miss Jake alot. good luck with layla. she will be a great friend to you. thank you for climbing in there to get her. god bless you and your new best friend.